FAISALABAD: A food exhibition was organised by the National Institute of Food Science and Technology (Nifsat) at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF).

The exhibition was called Product Development Competition and was attended by people from all walks of life.

Students of BSc, MSc and PhD had set up 50 stalls of 200 different value-added food items they had prepared. Each stall was manned by a group of five to six students.

UAF Vice-Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmed, flanked by Prof Dr Masood Sadiq Butt, the Nifsat director general (DG), inaugurated the exhibition.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Ahmed said the food industry could fetch large revenue by promoting value addition and quality packaging on a par with international standards. He said promotion of food industry would help alleviate poverty in Pakistan.

He urged food experts to ensure quality of food to help attract foreign exchange. He also said Pakistani youth had great potential that must be explored for the development of the country.

He also stressed upon the students to come up with new tastes and foods taking advantage of the post-harvest and value-addition technologies.

Prof Butt told Dawn prizes to the best exhibitors would be distributed at a ceremony on Mar 14 in which Punjab Food Authority DG Asad Islam and the UAF VC would be guests.

He said Nifsat was making all-out efforts to produce skilled manpower in the food industry. He said the exhibition was aimed at providing a platform to students to show their skills and create healthy competition.